Energy Profile Multiple Steps
Easychemistry
In a two-step mechanism, the rate-determining step is the one with:
Select the correct option:
Solution
Incorrect! Answer:
Highest activation energy
- Mechanism: Complex reactions occur in multiple elementary steps.
- Concept: The overall speed of the reaction is bottlenecked by the slowest step.
- The Rate Determining Step (RDS): This is the slowest step in the sequence.
- Energy Barrier: The step with the highest activation energy (Ea) will have the lowest rate constant (k) and will thus be the slowest.
- Verification: Even if other steps are very fast, the reaction cannot finish until this 'rate-determining' hurdle is cleared.
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About This Question
- Subject
- chemistry
- Chapter
- chemical kinetics
- Topic
- energy profile multiple steps
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Highest activation energy
- Mechanism: Complex reactions occur in multiple elementary steps.
- Concept: The overall speed of the reaction is bottlenecked by the slowest step.
- The Rate Determining Step (RDS): This is the slowest step in the sequence.
- Energy Barrier: The step with the highest activation energy (Ea) will have the lowest rate constant (k) and will thus be the slowest.
- Verification: Even if other steps are very fast, the reaction cannot finish until this 'rate-determining' hurdle is cleared.
This easy difficulty chemistry question is from the chapter chemical kinetics, covering the topic of energy profile multiple steps. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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